Propeller blade



Allg. 16, 1938. G, LAMPTQNv 2,127,264

PROPELLER BLADE Filed Nov. '7, 1935 veri/0p J. Y ff Patented Aug.1e,193s l PROPELLER BLADE Glen T. Lampton, Williamsport, Pa., assignor to Aviation Manufacturing Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application November 7, 1935, Serial No. 48,643 1s claims.' (c1. 17o-159) The invention relates to propeller blades for v aircraft.

Propeller blades of laminated wood have important advantages over metal blades in that they can be produced at a low cost without elaborate tools and because they can be easily modified to meet the requirements of diiferent air plane engine combinations with a high degree of precision and to avoid undesired vibration characteristics.

In mounting blades in the hub of a controllable pitch or of a Variable fixed pitch propeller, it is necessary to mount them in the hub for rotation on their axes for pitch-changes. For this purpose, threads or grooves have been formed in the cylindrical wooden shank of the blades to provide a connection between said cylindrical portion and a metal ferrule which is adapted for rotation in the hub. 'When threads or annular grooves are turned in the cylindrical wooden shank, they are extremely weak, because the wood is placed in shear parallel to the grain. attachment by means of bo1ts,`conical wedges, and other devices. These methods of attachment have not been satisfactory, due to the dif# ference in elastic behaviour of the wood and the" ferrules which allowed the attachment to become loose and thereafter rapidly fail under torque impulses and vibrations.

The object of the present invention is to provide a wooden or similar propeller blade in which these objections are overcome and in which the blade of wood is greatly reinforced by metallic strips or plates inserted in the shank and elliciently bonded to the wood so that'in use the ferrule and shank cf the blade will remain permanently and securely connected.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a blade in which the insert plates or strips are bonded to the shank and interfit with the ferrule so they will receive shear stresses when the blade is in operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a wooden propeller blade having its shank reinforced with metallic inserts which will distribute the shear stresses which result from centrifugal force over a very large area of the joints in the wooden shank.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved wooden propeller blade.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the detailed description.

The invention consists in the several novel features which are hereinafter set forth and are Similar weaknesses have resulted from,

more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

1n the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective of the shank portion of the blade embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section; Fig. 3 is a section on line 3--3 of Fig. 1; Fig. i is a section on line d-fl of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a detail perspective of one of the metallic inserts.

The invention is exemplified in a blade com-f 1o prising a cylindrical shank l and body 8 formed of laminations 6 of wood. The body may have thrust and suction faces of any desirable shape, as well understood in the'art. These laminations are glued or otherwise suitably secured together l5 in the usual manner, the grain extending generally longitudinally of the blade.

In the manufacture of the blade embodying the invention, a series of radial slits or kerfs are sawed into the shank by a circular saw, so 20 blade to receive a corresponding series of radially 25 extending inserts Il. These inserts t in and conform to the inner and outer edges of the slits 9. Each consists of a metal plate or strip I2, preferably of steel, to the side-faces of which have been bonded', under high pressure, at a 30 raised temperature, facings of wood veneer or plywood I3. Any suitable cement or glue, such as now used in bonding wood veneer to metal may be used. The veneer or plywood facings I3 on the metal plates I2 provide a suitable sur- 35 face, which may be firmly bonded, by a suitable glue, to the contiguous radial side-faces of the slits in the laminations 6. The inserts II are bonded to the laminations by suitable glue, and

radial pressure is applied to thelaminated seg- 40 ments between the inserts, so that very strong joints are obtained between the veneer on the inserts and the wood in the shank blade. veneer faces of the inserts provide large areas Thev for bonding the inserts to the laminations of the blade. The slits 9 and inserts terminate at a central bore I4 drilled into the laminated portion of the shank. The curved edges II of the inserts conform to the arc of the saw used to cut the slits in the shank. When the inserts have been thus secured in the wooden blade, they are united therewith so as to constitute metallic reinforcement. The outer edges of the inserts are flush with the outside of the blade.

After the inserts have been fixed In the shank,

a buttress screw-thread or groove l5 is machined into the periphery of the shank so it extends into the inserts and the laminations between the inserts. A metallic ferrule I6 for mounting the blade in a hub is provided with a corresponding buttress screw-thread so the ferrule can be screwed onto the shank and will interfit with the groove i5 which extends across the inserts and the intermediate laminated sections. `'I'he ferrule I6 is provided with an integral annular shoulder l8which is adapted to rotatably seat in the hub of a controllable or variable xed pitch propeller. In a controllable pitch propeller this shoulder will serve as a centrifugal thrust e'lement. In a xed pitch propeller the ferrule may be clamped in a. split hub, as Well understood in the art. The ferrule has a slotted extension i9, which is usually disposed outside of the propellerhub, to resiliently support the blade adjacent the point where it enters and is xedin the heavy Wall of the ferrule i6. The metallic inserts ii extend outwardly beyondthe ferrule and the hub to reinforce the blade outwardly beyond the ferrule and to increasel the area of the joints between the inserts and the shank to distribute, over a very large surface, the glued joints, and also to reinforce the portion of the blade beyond the ferrule. The metallic inserts, when bonded to the shank, transmit shear stresses, which result from centrifugal force, to the metallic' ferrule. When threads or grooves for an interiit between the blade. and' the ferrule, are-turned into the shank made of wood, they are extremely Weak because the wood is placed in' shear parallel to the grain. Consequently, the radially disposed longitudinally extending metallic inserts provide avery efilcient reinforcement for the wooden blade. Furthermore, the metallic inserts prevent crushing of the wood across the grain under` clamping force and prevent. the shank from being forced out of round when it is forced into the ferrule or the ferrule is subjected to clamping pressure in the hub. v

. `To lock the shank of the blade and ferrule against relative rotation, an annular series of internal gear teeth 20.are formed in the inner end of the ferrule and an end-plate 2l provided with teethvadapted to mesh with the gear teeth 20, is secured on the inner end of the shank. Preferably, the metal strips i2 of the inserts are extended longitudinally beyond the end of the shank, as at 22 to -it into corresponding recesses 23 in the locking plate 2|. A split-plug 24 tting in the bore I4 is adapted to be jammed in the bore to lock the plate 23 to the shank by means of a tapered screw'25.

The invention exemplifies a wooden propeller xblade with radially'disposed longitudinally ex- .tending metal inserts which are bonded to the shank and serve to take shear stresses resulting from centrifugal force through the -intert be-` tween the ferrule and the inserts and therefore advantageously disposesthe load from the bearing Vpressure standpoint. These forces are transmitted to the inserts and distributed over extensive areas of glued joints between the inserts and the laminated sections 'of the blade.

The inserts are extended beyond the ferrule to reinforce the body ofthe blade adjacent the shank. By reason of the reinforcement provided by the inserts and the transmission of shear stresses through the plates to the ferrule, the

blade will possess the desired strength for servicev at high speed. n

While the invention has been described in conaifrigseli nection with a propeller of laminated wood, it will be understood that it may be applied to blades formed of similar materials such as composiclaims', without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

.Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A propeller blade comprising a body and a cylindrical shank of laminated material such as wood longitudinal metallic plates in4 the shank and bonded thereto and intersectingthe Joints between the laminae. i e i 2. A propeller blade comprising a body and a cylindrical shank of laminated wood having radially disposed longitudinal slits intersecting the laminae cut therein and metallic platesiitting in -the slits and having their side faces bonded to the contiguous vfaces of the slits.

3. A propeller blade comprising a body and a cylindrical shank of material such as Wood having radially disposed longitudinal slits therein, metallic plates fitting in and bonded-to the sides of the slits, the inner edges of the outer ends of the plates and slits being curved conformably to and terminating at the periphery of the blade.

4. A propeller blade comprising a body and a cylindrical shank of laminated material such as wood and metallic plates faced withand bonded to veneer and inserted into, and havingthe bonded to the material forming'the faces of the slits. l

7. A propeller blade comprising abody and a shank of material such as wood, a metallic ierrule around the shank and radially disposed metallic4 plates inserted in and bonded to the shank, the plates and shank and the ferrule having intertting portions for transmission of shear stresses through the plates to the ferrule.

8. A propeller blade comprising a body and a shank of laminated material. such as wood, having longitudinal slits therein, a metallic ferrule -'around the shank, and metallic plates inserted in the slits and bonded to the shank, the plates and thel ferrule having interiltting portions for transmission 'of shear stresses through-the plates to the ferrule, the side-faces of the plates being bonded to the contiguous faces of the slits.

9. A propeller blade comprising a body and a shank of material such as wood, a metallic ferrule around .the shank and radially disposed metallic plates in and bonded to the shank, the plates extending outwardly beyond the ferrule. 10. A propeller blade comprising a body and a cylindrical shank of material such as wood, the shank having acentral bore and radially disposed metallic plates inserted in and bonded to the shank and extending from its periphery to the bore.

11. A propeller blade comprising a body and a shank of material such as wood, a central bore in the shank, longitudinal metallic plates in the shank and extending from its periphery to the bore, a ferrule around the shank, and means for locking the shank to the ferrule against relative rotation, comprising an end-plate interlocked with the ferrule and means for securing thel shank of material such as Wood, a central bore in the shank, longitudinal metallic insert plates in the shank, a ferrule around the shank, andV means for locking the shank to the ferrule against relative rotation, comprising an end-plate interlocked with the ferrule, and means for securing the end-plate against rotation in the shank, the insert plte being extended to intel-llt with the locking-plate.

13. A propeller blade comprising a cylindrical shank of material such as wood and a. series of flat metallic plates in and extending longitudinally of the shank and extending radially inward from its periphery and terminating adja.- 1'0 cent its axis, the' plates being bonded to said material.

GLEN T. LAMPTON. 

